Motor vehicle construction



April 15, 1930.

J. G. UTz

MOTOR VEHICLE CONSTRUCTION Filed Nov. 27, 1925 2 sheets-sheet 1 @y .N S f3 o- B3@ I um Q u ,su b9 RNS .b3

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31a/vento@ April .15, 1930. J. G. UTz

MOTOR VEHICLE CONSTRUCTION Filed Nov. 27, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 nu mu tu mm )Toll Patented Apr. l5, 1930 JOHN G. TZ, 0l' DETROIT, I ICHIGAH, ASSIGNOR T0 IIC'HIG-.LN I

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Ioron vnn'rcu: coNsTaUc'rIoN Application mea number 91,1925. serial no. 71,573.

The invention relates to motor vehicle construction, and more particularly to method of attaching an additional axle to a Ford truck, thereby transformin the Fort truck 6 into a six-wheel vehicle o larger carrying 4capacity and better riding quality.

The standard Ford truck, by virtue of its original construction, is limited in' its carr ing capacity as well as wheel base andbo y 10 space. To extend the wheel base, and offer more body space, and thus greater carrying capacity, lmany constructions have been devised, such as that shown in my application Serial Number 56,613 of September 16, 1925..

These constructions serve quite well up to a` point where the increased load carried approaches the safe limit ofthe Ford rear axle. Likewise, when it is desired to carry greater load, more pulling ability must be provided, since the power of the Ford engine is limited, and also additional braking abilitymust be provided to make for safety. It is likewise desirable to provide a spring suspension able to accommodate the heavier loads imposed and that will provide what are known as good riding qualities.

To meet all of these requirements ina simple and inexpensive manner, I have devised a means of attaching an additional axle and 3. supplementary fra-me, roviding inverted semi-elliptic leaf springs etween the two rear axles, which springs in turn support the supglementary frame at a point near their center. he original Ford springs are discarded, and the supplementary frame is boltedfto the original Ford frame in such a manner that the two frames become a unit. This application of leaf springs divides the carried load approximately equally between the originalFord rear axle andthe added rear axle. This added rear axle is what is known as adead axle, l because it does not rotate, nor does it transmit power to its wheels. Thewheels ef this added axle are provided with antifrictlon bearings within their hubs, which run on the dead axle, and each wheel is provided with a brake drum, brake bands, andbrake operating mechanism of a conventional type.

Since the distance of the Ford rear axle w from the Ford front or Steering axle, 1s determined by the original Ford construction, the lnverted leaf spring is so attached to the Ford rear axle that there is lateral but not longitudlnal restraint. The point where this spring applies its pressure tothe Ford rear axle is the same as in the original construction, which means that no new stresses are added to the Ford rear axle. It will thus be seen that the modified Ford truck can carry approximately double its original capacity without increasing the loading on the Fordrear axle beyond that load for which it was intended. The dead axle is located relative to the Ford rear axle by the springsand any convenient form of linkage, which springs and linkage serve to carry the,v brake mechanism and react the torque of the brakes when applied. Means are provided for equalizing the braking efforts on the four rear wheels, thus providing double braking ability to that of the .original construction.

When the load carrying ability oi' the vehicle is so greatly increased, it often becomes necessary to introduce a secondary or auxiliary transmission, whereby lower gear ratios are available to obtain more tractive eii'ort from the standard Ford engine at the sacrifice of road speed.

I ani aware of the fact that six wheel constructions are common on motor vehicles where both the rear axles are provided with power transmitting means, but such constructions are expensive and must necessarily Abe part of the original construction of the vehicle, whereas, in my invention a non-driving axle is added toa vehicle originally constructed as a four Wheel vehicle.

While my invention vprimarily relates to the transformation of a four wheel Ford truck Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a vehicle chassis ma In the drawings, 1 designates the front axle Vof a Ford truck with its wheels 2. 3 is a radiator, 4 is an engine, 5 is a housing enclosing a fiy wheel, clutch and speed` changing mechanism, 6 is an auxiliary speed changing mechanism, 7 is the lever controlling the auxiliary speed changing mechanism, 8 is a universal connection between 6.and the propeller shaft housing 9. 10 is the standard Ford rear axle housing to which the propeller shaft housing 9 is bolted.

11 are the wheels on the standard Ford rear axle, 12 is the Ford frame, 13 is an auxiliary or supplementary frame, 14 is an added dead axle, with wheels 15', which in turn carry the brake drums 16. To the dead axle 14 are attached swivel brackets V17 to which are connected the rear ends of the springs 18, the' brake anchors 19, brake bands 2O and brake o erators 21. 22 is a fixed trunnion shaft W 'ch extends across the vehicle and is attached right and left to the supplementary frame 13, by brackets 23. On the ends of trunnion shaft 22 are rotatable spring seats 24 which are located laterall by shoulder 25 and collar 26. Collar 26 is lield in place by nut 27. The springs 18 are firmly attached to the seats 24 by the U-bolts 28, the plates 29 and the nuts 30. Seats 24 are provided with replaceable bushin 31 and are free to rotate on the trunnion s aft 22 which in turn is fixed to prevent rotation in brackets 23. The rear end of the sprng18 is attached to the brackets 17 through a conventional spring eye. The front end of the spring 18 is provided with a hook 32 which rests on the pin 33 extending from the axle housing, and the s rin 18 is located laterally b collars 34, t oug free to move longitudinally. The supplementary frame 13 1s bolted fast to the ends of the Ford frame rear cross memberk 35 at 37 and also to the Ford frame side rails at 38, the supplementary frame channelbeingi deep enough to envelop the Ford frame rai s.

The brake bands 20 are operated through links 39 by levers 40, shafts 41, levers 42 and cables 43. Cable 43 passes around the pulley 44 and back to the operatin lever 45 on the brake band 46 on the stan ard Ford brake drum v47. To the pulleys 44 is attached ther cable 48 which passes around the pulley 49 and thus equalizes the pull onthe right hand brakes with the pull on the left hand brakes, as well as e uahzing the brakes on the dead axle with t e brakes on the driving axle.

A To the ulley 49 is attached the rod 50 which passes orward and attaches to the foot brake pedal 51 in such a manner that when the pedal is pushed forward by the driver, equal pressures are applied to all four rear wheel brakes.l Any other method for equalizing brake pressures may be used.

The radius rods 52 are attached to the Ford rear axle at 53. and to the propeller-shaft housing 9 at`54. The combination'of the propeller shaft housing 9 and the radius rods 52, determines the posi/tion of the Ford rear axle, confining its path' of motion to that of an arc of a circle whose center is the universal connection 8. It will be seen, therefore, that when the Ford axle moves up and down in passing over rough roads, the point of contact between the pin 33 and the spring hook 32 will vary in a lon itudinal direction, which variation will also e affected by -the`elongation or shortening of the spring 18 due to its deflection.l When passing over rough roads the path of motion of axle 14 relative to frame 13 will be determined by the link 55 and spring 18. The location of the shaft 41 and link 39 is such that the operation of the brake band 20 .through lever 2l will not be affected by relative motion between axle 14 and frame 1,3. The position of pulley 49 and pulley 44 is such that operation of brake band 46 through lever 45 will not be affected by relative motion between axle housing 10 and frames 12 and 13. 56 is a conventional steering wheel attached to column 57. 58 is a hand Ibrake lever which is connected to operate an internal brake within the drum 47 (not shown). If desired, brake lever 58 can be so interconnected with pedal 51 that the external brakes on the four rear wheels can be operated either by'hand lever 58 or foot pedal 51.

It will be noted from the foregoing specification that the addition of the dead load carrying axle 14 and its wheels 15 interconnected with axle 10 through the springs 18 to the supplementary frame 13 and thence to the main frame 12 and main frame cross member 35, in no way affects or modifies the functioning of the axle 10 when transmitting power from the engine 4 through the transmission 5 and 6, iexible connection 8 and propeller shaft within the housing 9, but that the axle 14 doespshare the oarrled load imposed on frame. 13,Y a proximately equall axle 10', and ecause of the brake ands 20 on the wheels ofthe dead axle 14 being interconnected with the brake bands 46 on the wheels l1, approximately double braking e'ect is available. Because of the trunnion effect of the spring seat 24 on the trunnion shaft 22, shocks imposed on a left or right wheel 11,

ted the lexi le connection 8 would be moved forward to attach -to the rear of the transmission 5l w1thout affecting the functioning of the with theA other units of this combination, and when transmission 6 is omitted the distance between the axles 1 and 10 can be reduced by an amount equal to the length of the transmission 6, and the attachment'point 38 would likewise be moved forward on the frame 12,

- and the attachment of frame 13 to cross member 35 at 37 would assume a new position without changing the distance between axles 10 and 14 and the length of the springs .18. When this construction is applied to a standard Ford truck, it will be noted that the application is quite simple and does not materially modify the original construction of the Ford truck chassis.

It will be apparent now that I have devised a novel and useful construction in a very simple combination. Obviously changes in detail may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention and I do not care to limit myself to any particular form or arrangement of these elements.

What I claim is:

1. In a motor vehicle, in combination, a frame, a paii` of closely associated non-steering rear axles, one of said axles being a driving axle and being provided with a housing and the other of said axles being a dead axle, said housing being pivotally connected to said frame by means of a propeller shaft housing, a pair of springs extending longitudinally of said frame between said axles and trunnioned to said frame therebetween, a slidin connection between the front ends of sai springs and said housing, and a pivotal connection between the rearends of said springs and said dead axle, said dead axle being maintained against movement longitudinally of ysaid springs whereby to maintain the wheels on said rear axles in constant approximate alignment.

2. In combination With a motor vehicle, a frame, a steering front axle and a pair of relatively closely associated non-steering rear axles,l the forward of said rear axles being a f driving axle and the rearwardof said rear axles beiner a dead axle, means for maintaining said forward .rear axle at a predetermined distance from a point iixed relative to said frame and permitting vertical movement thereof relative to said frame, and springs trunnioned t0 said frame between said rear axles, said springs having a connection with said forward rear axle whereby to permit movement thereof longitudinally of said springs, and said springs having a connection with said rearward rear axle maintaining saidrearward rear axle against movementy thereofv longitudinally of said springs and controlling the aligned relationship of the wheels carried thereby relative to the wheels carried-by the forward lof said reark axles. y l

3. In a motor veh1cle, 1n combination, a frame, a housed driving axle, a non-steering dead axle, radius rods and Vpropeller' shaft housing connecting the driving axle to the frame, a single spring on each side of said frame, said spring being connected at one end to said driving axle and at the other end to said dead axle and being trunnioned between their endson said frame, means cooperating 

